Jan. 6 committee eyes unprecedented confrontation with Trump

The House Jan. 6 committee plans to vote to subpoena former President Donald Trump about the 2021 Capitol riot.

The unprecedented action against a former U.S. president, which was first reported by NBC News, will force Mr. Trump into a confrontation with the committee that has accused him of attempting to overthrow the democratic process, likely through a legal battle over the subpoenas.

At a hearing Thursday, the committee focused on what knowledge Mr. Trump had before the riot and what warnings he was given about potential violence.

Members highlighted their assertions that Mr. Trump had made a premeditated plan to declare victory in the 2020 election as early as the summer before Election Day.

“This big lie, President Trump’s effort to convince Americans that he had won the 2020 election began before the election results even came in. It was intentional. It was premeditated and not based on election results or any evidence of actual fraud that affected the results,” said Rep. Zoe Lofgren, California Democrat on the committee.

All nine members are participating in Thursday’s hearing, a change from past hearings which focused on individual members.

The committee is expected to issue a report on their investigation before the end of the 117th Congress.